Vibraphonist Khan Jamal performs with, from left, Scott Verrastro, Luke Stewart and Aaron Martin.

by Giovanni Russonello

Vibraphone innovator Khan Jamal traveled down from Philadelphia on Saturday to play with a slightly modified lineup of the D.C. free-jazz group OOO (a.k.a. the Tri-O Trio). As with every show at Red Door – the fledgling loft space in Chinatown – a squeezed-in crowd demanded nothing but music of crackling intensity. That’s what they got. Jamal’s vibes playing was considerably less freewheeling (and not quite as mesmerizing) as his best work, and he instead chose to play straight quarter-note riffs on repeat, at times for upwards of three minutes. But the group behind him – D.C.’s Aaron Martin on alto saxophone and Luke Stewart (who is also an editor for CapitalBop) on bass, and Philly’s Scott Verrastro visiting on drums and percussion – danced around Jamal’s patterns, and at its best moments seemed genuinely lifted by them. Here are some photos from the show.

Crouching in the loft of the loft, listeners peek over the edge for a glimpse of the musicians.

Jamal plays with Verrastro, who has drawn a copper pot from his bottomless bag of idiosyncratic percussion instruments.

As Jamal performs in a duo with Verrastro, Luke Stewart (right) mans the sound equipment.

Verrastro rumbles on the drums.

An enraptured audience meditates on Jamal's sounds.

photos by Giovanni Russonello/CapitalBop

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